A Birthday Card

 Playing today with a set of stencils, some of the first that Pink Fresh made years ago, but now retired.

supplies: white cardstock, wood plank dp, Pink Fresh Studio (retired) Daisy Wreath stencils, Altenew Golden Sunset, Lime, and Fresh Leaf inks, Simon (retired) Big Scripty Greetings sentiment, Doodlebug enamel dots, adhesive foam squares

This is a fun set of layering stencils; sadly, I've only used them a few times in the past.  The finished wreath was fairly easy to cut out, and I just popped it above a wood plank background.

Thanks for visiting me today!

Sweet Spring

 I'm still playing with my new Hero Arts February Fancy Dies, this time using more of the other flowers in the set.  And I added some Greetery things to the mix this time.

supplies: white and colored cardstock, Hero Arts February Fancy dies, The Greetery BotaniCuts Pussy Willows and Fit to Be Tied, sentiment from Newton's Nook (retired) Woodland Spring

I cut 3 daffodils and 3 crocus flowers plus some leaves and arranged them along with the pussy willows and a pretty bow to make my spring bouquet.  

Hopefully spring won't be too long coming now!

Woodblock Wednesday

 I really enjoyed making my card for this month's Woodblock Wednesday!  The idea of mixing a collage postage die with small floral Hero Arts woodblocks came to mind as I was looking through my woodblocks to use this month.  Then I saw Linda's cards (rcwidow on IG) doing the same thing, and Colleen's cards from last month, and that made up my mind.  Here's my contribution for this month.

I had to do a wee bit of masking, but these smaller stamps fit into the openings perfectly! Here's a picture with the stamps I used, all of them Hero Arts from the early 2000s.  The "first class mail" and postage amounts are from  a Waffle Flower Postage Collage stamp set.  As you can see, I used the same colors that Hero Arts suggested on their stamps: yellow, pink, lavender, and green. 

supplies: white and purple cardstock, Waffle Flower Postage Collage die and stamp set, Hero Arts Angels in a Vase, Artist's Heart Leaves, Happy Spring (I believe part of a 2-piece set), Garden Blooms set of 3, punched butterflies

It was such a joy to use these again, as they were all favorites way back then!  Since the Simon Wednesday Blog is featuring Waffle Flower this week, I'll enter this into their challenge.

And because I had to know what these would look like cut apart, here's a bonus card.

supplies: white and green cardstock, Memory Box Pinpoint Leaf cover plate, Waffle Flower Postage Collage die and stamp set , Hero Arts Garden Blooms stamps, Winnie & Walter Spring cutaway

This time I only used the 3 stamps from Garden Blooms set, coloring each one in only one of the same colors I used above.  Then I arranged them on a panel of green cardstock cut with the Pinpoint Leaf cover plate, and added a die-cut sentiment.

You can see all the other entries at Amy's blog HERE.

A Felt Bunny!

 Nichol Spohr and Spellbinders have a new Spring Felt Collection, and I was tickled to be able to play with the Felt Carrot Companion set!

As you can see, the set makes this cute bunny and a carrot.  Nichol's dies are made to be used with felt, and I was lucky to have these colors still on hand from past projects.  

Here's a closer shot.

Nichol's dies include some to make a little bow for around the bunny's neck, but you know me and gingham, I thought this thin pink ribbon worked perfectly.  I also added my own flowers at her ear, using some Spellbinders flower and leaf dies, and used adhesive black pearls for her eyes.  The carrot tops are really cute with their fringes!  I tied some twine through them for a little country feel.

Nichol also designed a second set called Cozy Cluck, a sweet hen.  I look forward to what she has coming for us in the future!  These little felt projects are a nice break from cardmaking.

Thanks for stopping by - enjoy your day!

Spring Hyacinths

 I recently ordered Hero Arts Fancy Dies of the Month for February.  It's full of tulips, crocus, daffodils, and these hyacinths, along with several different pots to plant them in.  Unfortunately the set sold out. Here's their first outing, mixed with some pretties from other companies.

supplies: white and colored cardstock, Spellbinders/Wendy Vecchi Heartfelt Scallops Rectangle, Neat & Tangled (retired) Hello Spring stamps, Surf ink, Hero Arts February 2025 Fancy Dies, Simon Four Seasons die, adhesive foam squares

There's nothing like that sweet smell that hyacinths give off!  And these dies represent them beautifully!  Can't wait to play with some of the other flowers in this set!

Thanks for stopping by.

Birdhouse Shaped Cards for Spring

 Today I'm playing with a pop-up birdhouse die set, and once again I used products from a bunch of companies to complete my projects, so fun!

supplies: colored and kraft cardstocks, a blue woodgrain dp, Scrappy Tails Birdhouse Pop-up dies, Honey Bee Stamps Lovely Layers Dogwood dies, Spellbinders Tweet Cardinal dies, The Greetery Opposites Attract stamp and matching die

The birdhouse set has dies so that you can make your card into a pop-up one.  The birdhouse die is actually quite a bit taller, so that you can make a slim-line card, but I chopped it off at about 6" tall today.  The set gives you options for the opening in it: a circle or a heart.  That was a no-brainer for me!   I haven't played very much with this cute cardinal either, so that was my second choice, and then because of the blue color I chose for the birdhouse, I thought that some neutral cream flowers would look best, so that's where the dogwoods came in.  And I always like to use this sentiment when I make cards that have birds featured.

Here's another one with spring in mind.

supplies: colored cardstock, Honey Bee woodgrain dp, (retired) Distress Grey two-tone woodgrain cardstock, Scrappy Tails Birdhouse Pop-up dies, Pretty Pink Posh Spring Foliage dies, PTI Feathered Friends 2 bird dies, Simon Heart dies

This time I put the sentiment on the back of the card.

supplies: Simon Spring Blessings, Doodlebug enamel heart

These are so much fun I made another version, using the scalloped circle opening this time and yet another bird, colored with markers like a bluebird.  I left the flowers off this time so that I could send this to a guy.

supplies: white and kraft cardstock, Honey Bee Stamps plank design paper, Scrappy Tails Birdhouse Pop-up dies, Tim Holtz Feathered Friends and (retired) Funky Foliage dies, markers to color

Once again, I put my sentiment "Just Because" on the backside of my card.

I'm entering my first card into this month's Double D Challenge: Birds.

Do you enjoy watching the birds?  It's a favorite past-time for us!  We even made a garden devoted to our little visitors!

A Spring Hello

 I used some favorite little dies for today's card, and a mix of companies again.

supplies: white and dark green cardstock, Distress Grey Two-Tone Woodgrain cardstock, Lawn Fawn Magic Iris Floral Wreath Add-On, bird from Magic Iris Birdhouse, Fancy Scalloped Rectangle dies, Memory Box Pinpoint Leaf cover plate, My Favorite Things (retired) Home Tweet Home birdhouse, sentiment from Newton's Nook (retired) Woodland Spring stamp set, adhesive foam squares

This wreath has extra flowers and leaves to affix to the main image, but today I just used some markers to color a white cut of it, then added the birdhouse and bird popped above a bit.  And this time I set it against a subtle leafy background.

Are you seeing any signs of spring in your neck of the woods?  My husband put out our birdhouses last week and we couldn't believe the birds they attracted immediately!  

Petal Pushers

 Here's a beautiful set of goodies from The Greetery that needs some love.  I used some pretty pastel colors for spring.

supplies: white and mint cardstock, The Greetery Petal Pusher Background plate and matching stencils, Pink Fresh Studio Sparkling Rose, Lemon Whip, and Sky Blue, Altenew Sweet Leaf mini ink cubes, gems and glittery stickers in flower centers

This cover plate cuts out the design as you see it, but the flowers and leaves are not cut all the way through; you can pull up their edges for dimension while the centers remain attached.  The 5-piece stencil set  colors everything.  

It turned out so pretty I didn't want to cover up anything with a sentiment, so I've left that off for now. 

This satisfied my need for spring for at least 1 happy afternoon!  Hope it makes you smile, too!

Simon's March Card Kit Tweet Friend

I couldn't resist the March Card Kit from Simon Says Stamp. Here are my first 3 cards using the wonderful elements inside!

First I played with the darling stamp set - so many cute birds and sentiments!

supplies: white and Surf Blue cardstock, Tweet Friend stamp set, Blossom Field embossing folder, Spellbinders Perfect Touch rectangle die, adhesive foam squares

Besides the 2 flowering branches in this set, there are 3 separate and different flowers (and a leaf, too, if you need an extra one), which I  stamped twice each, then used them to add to the branches for a place to pop up my birds.  I popped 2 of them up also amidst the flowers on the branches, and added some tiny pink gems to some of the flowers.  I wanted more color, so I put my panel onto an embossed Surf Blue one.  Isn't that baby bird in its nest adorable?  The sentiment is also part of the kit, just 1 of 5 large ones, not to mention bunches of smaller ones to go with them.

I'm always drawn to printed papers, and in this kit we have some from Paper Rose called Flower Shoppe.  One of the papers has 11 little scenes that can be cut apart and used.  I decided to make them my focal point for my next 2 cards.

supplies: white and black cardstock, Paper Rose Flower Shoppe design papers, Four Seasons Spring die, stamped sentiment from Tweet Friend stamps, Pink and Main (retired) Postage dies, adhesive foam squares

The pretty tone-on-tone paper is also from the papers in the kit.  And I was happy to see that the Four Seasons dies are still available!

Here's another, a 4 1/4" square card this time, and I used one of the Pretty Bows that is in the kit.

supplies: white and Cornflower cardstock, Paper Rose Flower Shoppe design papers, (bottles and blue stripe), sentiment from Tweet Friend stamps, a Pretty Bow die, MFT (retired) Stitched Mini Scallop Square Stax dies 

As you can see, there are so many ways to go with this kit.  I haven't even touched the embossing folder yet!  For more ideas, don't forget to look in Simon's gallery HERE.  The kit is sold out, but many of the elements in it are still available.

Thanks for stopping by!

Blooming Circle

 Today I brought out a favorite Simon Says Stamp floral wreath die that is still current to make my card. 

supplies: white, black, and Surf Blue cardstock, Simon Blooming Circle die, Tri-Blend markers to color, Lawn Fawn Fancy Scallop Rectangle die, Spellbinders (retired) Pocketful of Spring die

This wreath die cuts out the flowers and leaves, so I cut it first from an A2 panel, saving all the bits and pieces that fell out, then cut that panel with the fancy scallop rectangle.  I used my markers to color in all the pieces in rainbow order, then reinserted them back into the design.  I toyed with adding a bow, but didn't want to cover up any of the colors, so I kept things clean and simple and added only this little die-cut sentiment.  

This card makes me happy - hope it does the same for you!  Thanks for coming by today!

Gorgeous You Launch

Spellbinders just launched a collection called Gorgeous You, a Pink Fresh collaboration event held last August.  I used a 3D embossing folder and a set of floral dies for my card today.

supplies: white cardstock, plaid design paper, Doodlebug printed papers in blue, aqua, purple, green, and yellow, Gorgeous You Florals dies, Cross My Heart 3D embossing folder, sentiment from (retired) Sending Sentiments clear stamp set

I love the added interest that I get when using printed papers, especially these nicely-scaled Doodlebug ones.  They come in a lovely array of colors, too!  

Here's a 2nd card that uses the other flower in the Floral dies set.  I switched to reds for a change.

supplies: white and black cardstock, Doodlebug printed papers in reds, yellow, and green, Gorgeous You Florals dies, Cross My Heart 3D embossing folder, sentiment from Smooth Lines Mix & Match Sentiments

This Gorgeous You collection also includes a BetterPress sentiment set, and dies that depict a perfume bottle, makeup bag, and makeup to put in it - very fun!  I hope you'll give it a look!

Spellbinders March Club Kits: BetterPress and matching Stencils, Dies of the Month

 Two cards today.  First up is the BetterPress kit called Quilted Memories.  It has a matching 3-piece stencil set, part of the Stencils for this month, Mosaic and Quilted Memories.

supplies: white and black cardstock, Quilted Memories BetterPress plate, matching Quilted Memories stencils, small sentiment from Nearest & Dearest stamps/dies, large sentiment from Colorful Expressions Blossom stamp and die 

After pressing and stenciling the design, I used a rectangle die to cut out the center, then matted it in black before inserting it back in place.  The small sentiment was cut apart from its original.  It's from this month's stamp/die set, and includes lots of sentiments in this small scale, plus some family words: Mom, Dad, Son, Daughter a bit larger and in a script font.

My second card today showcases the Dies of the Month, Fairways & Fish Tales.  I chose the fishing part of these dies, as both my husband and Dad are/were fishermen!  

supplies: colored cardstock, Fairways and Fish Tales dies, sentiment from Nearest and Dearest stamps/dies, Summertime Waves embossing folder, Tunnel Clouds

The sentiment is just one of 25 included in this month's stamp/die set, Nearest and Dearest.  Most are this block style font, but there are 5 larger script ones, too, all revolving around family.  

Here are the new kits that I used for my cards today.

You can look HERE for information on Spellbinders Clubs.  Each is available for new subscribers only from the 6th until the 27th of each month.  If you click on my links under each card, you can see the specifics of each product.  You can subscribe to each of our 10 kits separately, (and you can "unjoin" a subscription at any time without any penalty), or you can get them all, plus a free bonus item each month, and save 60% by choosing the Deluxe Caboodle!

Spellbinders March Club Kits: Embossing Folder, Large Dies, Stencils, and Stamp/Die sets

 Today I have 2 cards using the embossing folder, Mosaic Memories, as my starting point.

supplies: white and pastel colored cardstock. Family & Friends Vignettes floral and arch dies, Mosaic Memories embossing folder, Nearest & Dearest sentiment, adhesive foam strip, tiny enamel hearts

The Family & Friends Vignettes is the Large Dies set for this month, and it has 3 different "scenes", if you will, to choose from to frame up with the arched piece.  I chose the florals, but there's also a puppy and accessories, and a dinosaur!  

My next card shows off the embossing folder along with its matching stencils.  I thought it was so pretty that I used just a tiny sentiment from the stamps of the month, Nearest and Dearest, and some flower sequins to accessorize it.

supplies: white and pink cardstock, Mosaic Memories embossing folder, matching Mosaic Memories stencils, sentiment from Nearest & Dearest stamps/dies set, adhesive foam strip, tiny yellow floral sequins

Here are the new kits that I used for my cards today.

You can look HERE for information on Spellbinders Clubs.  Each is available for new subscribers only from the 6th until the 27th of each month.  If you click on my links under each card, you can see the specifics of each product.  You can subscribe to each of our 10 kits separately, (and you can "unjoin" a subscription at any time without any penalty), or you can get them all, plus a free bonus item each month, and save 60% by choosing the Deluxe Caboodle!

Spellbinders March Club Kits: 3D Embossing Folder, Stitching, and Glimmer Kits

 It's time for me to share my cards from this month's Spellbinders Club Kits.  The theme this month is Nearest and Dearest. 

First off, I have 2 cards using the gorgeous 3D folder called Floral Fence of Togetherness.  It's one of those folders from which you can get 2 completely different designs.  Isn't it pretty?

supplies: pink and white cardstock, Floral Fence of Togetherness 3D folder, white pigment ink, sentiment from Colorful Expressions Sentiments

This one would be a stunner done in the blackout technique!

That's the design on the bottom of the folder.  Here's the one on the top - sweet and simple.

supplies: white and pink cardstock, Floral Fence of Togetherness 3D folder, Zig markers and water to color, sentiment from Smooth Lines Mix & Match Sentiments

I had Easter on my mind when I made my next card.  It features the Stitching die, Diamond Knit, with a sentiment from the Glimmer Kit, We are All Family.

supplies: colored cardstock, Diamond Knit stitching plate, yellow embroidery floss, 6 strands, sentiment from We Are All Family glimmer plates, Floral Spray flowers and leaves

I started off with the idea of using purples and yellows.  The background sheet had lots of colors auditioning before I chose this lavender......light aqua was a close contender.

I like the way the stitches make little pillows that give some extra dimension. 

Here are the new kits I used for my cards today.

You can look HERE for information on Spellbinders Clubs.  Each is available for new subscribers only from the 6th until the 27th of each month.  If you click on my links under each card, you can see the specifics of each product.  You can subscribe to each of our 10 kits separately, (and you can "unjoin" a subscription at any time without any penalty), or you can get them all, plus a free bonus item each month, and save 60% by choosing the Deluxe Caboodle!

Spring Blessings

 Here's a mix of Honey Bee Lovely Layers dies and a Spellbinders embossing folder and sentiment.

supplies: white, soft aqua, green, pale yellow, and 4 different kraft cardstocks, Honey Bee Stamps Lovely Layers Dogwood, Lovely Layers Nest, Spellbinders (retired) Branching Out embossing folder, (retired) sentiment from Lily Arch

I really enjoyed making this card - as their titles suggest, the florals and the nest are composed of many layers, and I added another with the leafy embossing folder background.  After all that, I liked this sweet little sentiment to finish things off.

I hope we get to see this for real soon!  

March Daffodils

Happy March!  I take this month as my okay to bring on the spring stuff! Daffodils are the birth flower for March; who can resist their sweet faces? 

supplies: white, yellows, green, and aqua cardstock, Sunny Studio Gingham Pastels dp, Winnie & Walter (retired) Audrey's Cutaways scalloped rectangle die, Spellbinders Rainboot Bouquet flowers and leaves, PTI Tuck It Sentiments stamp and die, sentiment from Simon (retired) Love and Friendship stamps

I had so much fun making this one; love the yellows with aqua!  I have a feeling there are more daffodils in my future.......

I just saw the current Inspired By.....  challenge is spring and gingham.  Their inspiration photo has daisies and gingham, so fresh!  I love a mix of spring flowers and some gingham!

Thank you for stopping by!  Hopefully we'll start seeing these for real soon!